Portable electrical apparatus



Nov. 21, 1933. c. v. DAME PORTABLE ELECTRICAL APPARATUS Filed April 29, 1931 Charles VDa/ne INVENTOR BY WLW via ATTORN EY5 Patented Nov. 21, 1933 UNITED ST TES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in portable electrical apparatus, and it consists in the combinations, constructions, and arrangements herein described and claimed.

An object of my invention is to provide a portable electrical apparatus having novel means whereby the batteries from which said apparatus obtains its power may be easily transported. V V e A further object is to provide novel means whereby several batteries may be carried on the body of a person with a minimum of discomfort.

to the person.

Another object is to provide novel means for carrying several batteries whereby an electrical device may be operated, said means being adapted for carrying various numbers of batteries.

A further object is to provide novel means whereby batteries may be carried for energizing 20 an electrical device, said means being adapted for being held in fixed engagement with the body of the wearer.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following specification, and the novel fea- 25 tures of the invention will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, forming part of this application, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of my device as adapted for being connected with the body of a person,

Figure 2 is a section taken along line 22 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a detail sectional view of the top portion of one of the battery containers,

Figure 4 is a section taken along the line 44 of Figure 3,

Figure 5 is a detail sectional view of the bottom 40 portion of one of the battery containers,

Figure 6 is a detail view showing the construction of one of the battery supporting members and the manner in which an electric lamp is associated therewith, and

Figure '7 is a detail diagrammatic view showing the circuit.

In carrying out my invention, I provide a plurality of casings or cylinders 1 having a body portion 2 conforming in contour to the cross sectional view shown in Figure 2. Each of the containers is provided with a top cover plate 3 and a bottom cover plate 4. Rod members 5 extend through openings in the top and bottom cover plates and are provided with threaded end portions 6 for receiving nuts 7'whereby said top and bottom plates 3 and 4, respectively, together with the casing 2, may be held together as a unit. As shown in Figure 2 link members 8 are formed for receiving the inner adjacent rods 5 of the adjacent casings, said link members being slidably mounted on said rods. Connected with the link member 8 is a spring member 9 having portions formed for receiving the outer and adjacent rod members 5 of the containers 1 and slidable with respect thereto. ,The spring members 9 tend to hold the containers in an aligned position.

The extreme end rods 5 of the end containers are provided with bracket members 11 which are formed for receiving the rods an'd'slidable with respect thereto. The bracket members 11 are connected with a belt member 12 which is adapted for being disposed around the body of the wearer. A belt member 12 has the ends thereof connected with the brackets 11 and is adapted for being disposed around the waist of the wearer whereby the containers may be held in engagement'there- I with. The top plate member of each of the containers is provided with aT-shaped neck portion 13. The cover plate is also provided with insulated contacts 14 adapted for engaging the terminals 15 of a battery 34 when said battery is disposed within the container. Asshown in Figure 5 the bottom plate 4, if so 'desired,.may be provided with a contact element 16 which engages the metal casing of the battery which may be used in lieu of aninsulated contact connected with the top plate for engaging the terminal associated with the metal battery casing. An end 17 of the T-shaped neck 13 is provided with contacts 18 and 19 while the end 1'7 of said neck is provided with contacts 21 and 22. The contact 22 is in electrical communication with one of the battery terminals. and the contact 19 is in electrical communication with the other of the battery terminals. The contact 18 is also in electrical communication with the-contact 21. The extreme rod members 5 of the end containers are provided with looped members 23 with which the ends of a sling 24 are connected. The sling 24 is provided with pockets 25 for receiving the handle 26 of an electric lamp 2'7. The end 17 of the neck 13 connected with one of the end containers is provided with a plug 28 for providing communication between the contacts 21 and 22.

The contacts 18 and 19 of the neck end 1'7 are respectively connected with the contacts 21 and 22 of the neck. 13 associated with the adjacent container by means of plugs 30 and conductors convenience tothe wearer.

with the neck of the other end container are connected with the light 27. A switch 29 is disposed on the bottom cover plate of one of the containers and included in the electrical circuit as shown in Figure 7 whereby the light-27 may be actuated at will. The faces of the containers 1 positioned adjacent the body of the wearer are provided with pads 33 which serve as a cushion between the containers and thewearers body. It will be seen by referring to Figure. 6. that the con ductors or wires 35 which provide communication between the batteries and the light are coiled so that the light may be removed from the pocket in order that the operator may hold it in some other location than in the pocket."

are provided with buckles or similar means not shown whereby they may be adjusted.

From the foregoing description of the various parts of the device, the operation thereof may be readily understood. The shoulder sling 24 is first thrown over the shoulder of the wearer and is adjusted so that the containers will be properly positioned on the-side of, thetwearer. The sling is slung over the shoulderrso that the light 2''! will be positioned at the frontof the wearer. The belt 12 is then tightened for-drawing the containers into engagement with the body. It will thus be seenthat the batteries within. the containers may be carried with little'or .no in- It Wilt-1,150 be seen that the switch 29 may be readily actuated, even while the wearer is carrying. articles.inhis'hands because of its convenient position, from the bottom of one of the containers; u

When it is desired that the light be directed to some particular location, the lamp 27. may. be removed from its pocketand utilized-as is an. ordinary flashlight. Itwill also be readily seen that other electrical devices might beiused in lieu of the lamp 27, such as a telephone transmitter which might be desired if applicants invention should be used as army equipment. The number of articles which it is desired to use may be varied by merely removing the proper nuts 7 whereby the respective threaded rods 5 may be'removed from engagement with the proper link members B and the spring means 9 thereby permitting adjacent containers to be disconnected. In like manner the bracket members-may be removed from their respective rods 5 and disposed on the rods of other containers.

I claim:

1. A device adapted to be worn around the body comprising a group of containers each contiguous pair of which is provided with an interposed hinge adjacent the body side thereof for flexibly connecting the same, a spring disposed between adjacent sides of each pair of said contaxiners and having its intermediate portion secured to the respective hinge and its ends extended forwardly and secured to said containers adjacent the free outer sides thereof, and supporting means for said containers secured to the end members of said group. The shoulder sling 24 and thebelt member 12 2. A device adapted to be worn around the body comprising a group of rectangular containers each having a removable end closure member, bolts adjacent the corners of the said containers for securing said closures in position, a hinge secured to a bolt of the body side of each of two adjacent containers for flexibly securing the same together, a spring secured intermediate its ends to each hinge and to the bolts adjacent the forward corners of the respective containers for controlling the flexing movement of said containers, and means secured to the end members of saidgroup for supporting the same.

3. A portable electric device adapted to be Worn around the body comprising a group of dry cell containers having removable end closure members, a plurality of bolts for each container for securing said closure members in position, a hinge secured to a bolt of each of two adjacent containerson the body side thereof for flexibly securing the same together, springs each secured at the intermediate portions thereof to one of said hinges and at its endsto other bolts of said adjacent containers for controlling the flexing movement thereof, and supporting means for said group of containers.

4. Apparatus adapted to be worn around the body comprising a belt, a group of containers secured thereto, a hinge flexibly connecting adjacent containers adjacent the body side thereof, and a spring secured to each hinge and to forward portions of each of the respective containers for controlling the flexing action of the same.

CHARLES VANCE DAME. 

